News

Sensors, C2 Improvements Key to Global Strike Effectiveness

—Marc V. Schanz10/10/2014

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​Innovations and improvements in sensors and connectivity will help
leverage Air Force Global Strike Command’s bomber force for decades to come, said
AFGSC boss Lt.
Gen. Stephen Wilson on Thursday during a Mitchell Institute for Aerospace
Studies event in Arlington, Va. Wilson said the command must leverage its
existing capabilities in new ways, by making investments, that have outsized
combat effects. For example, by studying Air Force Special Operations Command
acquisition practices, AFGSC was able to conceive, build, and field a new
AESA radar-equipped pod for the B-52 in under five months, Wilson noted. For
the B-2, Wilson said a key priority is the Defensive Management System
modernization effort, which will swap out older electronics components, such as
passive antennas and older line replaceable unit components that are running
into spare part availability issues. By completing the DMS, the B-2 fleet will
be better connected and have better situational awareness for crews and
commanders.